Pole reenforcement



Aug. 27, 1929. G. B. SPRING POLE REENFORCEMENT Filed Nov.- 15, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenror. George B. Spring. by/wzmk W AT Tys.

Aug. 27, 1929. 5, SPRING 1,726,371

POLE REENFORCEMENT Filed Nov. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 InvenTor George5. Spring Patented Aug. 27",

UNETE STATES GEORGE E. SPRING, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POLE REEN'FORGEMENT.

Application filed November 15, 1926.

This invention relates to means for reenforcing telephone polestelegraph poles and other transmission poles. Poles which are used fortelephone or for telegraph lines or other transmission lines are usuallyof wood and they have the disadvantage that after afew years use theybecome weakened by decay at or just below the surface of the earth. Ithas been proposed to r'eenforce a weakened pole by placing in the earthalongside of the pole one or more reenforcing members which are clampedto the pole above the earth. If, however, the pole is quite badlyweakened by decay it may have little or no strength at the weakenedportion to resist swaying movement of the pole and in such case theswaying movement of the pole must be resisted entirely by thereenforcing members. Some types of reenforcing members are adapted to bedriven into the earth alongside of the pole and these are not anchoredto the butt of the pole below the earths surface. but only to the poleabove the earths surface. If a reenforcing member of this type isapplied to a pole which is badly weakened by decay so that it has littleor no strength at the weakened portion practically the entire forcewhich is available to resist swaying tendency of the pole is theresistance of the earth against the portion of the reenforcing membersthat are embedded in the earth and if this resistance is not sufficientfor the purpose there is likelihood that if the pole is subjected tosevere strain tending to sway it laterally the reenforcing members willbe tipped out of the earth leaving the butt of the pole still embeddedin the earth.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improvedreenforcement by which the earth resistance of the butt portion of thepole may be used to prevent swaying of the pole even though the pole isbadly weakened and has practically no strength at the decayed portion.This object is accomplished by providing a reenforcing member which isconstructed so that it has sufficient interlocking engagement with thepole butt so that any lateral strain to which the reenforcing member issubjected by the sw. ying of the pole will be transmitted to the buttand will thus be resisted by the earth resistance against the butt. Inthe preferred embodiment of my invention this is accomplished byproviding the reen- Serial No. 148,364.

forcing member with a fin of considerable extent constructed so thatwhen the reenforcing member is driven into the earth alongside of thepole said fin will acquire its interlocking engagement with the pole.With this construction, therefore, there is no danger that thereenforcing members will be tipped out of the earth by the lateralswinging movement of the pole due to lack of earth resistance againstthe reenforcing members because the full earth resistance against thebutt of the pole is available for holding the reenforcing members inplace.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofreenforcing member which may be used either with the butt which the poleoriginally had when it was set or with a substitute butt which may beplaced in position to receive a broken pole.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally a polereenforcement in various particulars all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated some selected embodiments ofmy invention Fig. 1 is a side view of a pole reenforcement.

embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which one of the reenforcing members isinserted in place;

Fig. 3 is a View of one of the reenfor'cing members;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view showing a different embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a View showing the manner of applying the reenforcement shownin Fig. 6 to a pole;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view of a spacer which may be used between the pole body andthe butt;

Fig. 10 illustrates adilferent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view illustrating the fin at the lower end ofthe reenforcing member.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings 1 indicates a woodenpole such as would be used for telephone or telegraph lines or othertransmission purposes and which is set into the earth 2. These woodenpoles soonbecome weakened by decay at the surface of the earth asindicated at 3.

The pole reenforcement herein shown is oi that type comprising one ormore reenforcing members which are adapted to be driven or set into theearth alongside oi the pole. in Fig. 1 l have shown two such reenforcingmembers, they being indicated at l. Each is provided at its upper endwith a thickened head portion 5 to receive the hammer blows by which thereenforcement is driven into the earth alongside of the pole. Saidreenforcing member is shown as having a central. longitudinallyextending earth-resisting rib 6 which is of considerable width. at aboutthe surface of the earth but which is of less width toward the ends.

The reenforcing member or members are cl niped to the pole above thesurface oi the earth by clamps which are similar in some respects tothose shown in my co-pending alications Serial No. 50,319, filed August1925 and Serial No. 110,661, filed May 1926. These clamping members eachcomprise a perforated connecting plate 7 and clamping rods 8 thatconnect the plate to the reen'forcing members. W here two reeni orcingmembers are employed said members will be connected by a plurality ofclamping devices each comprising a perforated plate 7 and the clampingrods 8. Each clamping rod is formed at its inner end with a head 9(preferably a pointed head.) which engages the inside of the plate 7,said clamping rod. then being bent as shown at 10 and extending to andthrough an aperture in the rib 6 oi the reenforcing member, the clampingred having a clamping nut 11 screwthreaded thereon by which thereenforcing members may be firmly clamped against the pole. The heads 9not only prevent the clamping rods 8 from pulling out of the aperturesin the plate but because of their pointed shape they become embedded inthe pole body somewhat as shown in Fig. 5 and thus assist in holding thepole rigidly in position.

In case the pole is badly weakened so that it has little or no strengthat the weakened portion 3 then with the construction illustratcd in theabove-mentioned applications the only force to prevent the pole frombeing blown over or from swinging laterally is the earth resistanceagainst the reenforcing members. It the earth is of a sandy or loosenature this earth resistance of itself may not be suflicient for thispurpose in which case the reenforcing members apt to be tipped out theground.

One of the objects of my invention to provide a novel construction bywhich the earth resistance against the butt 12 of a pole may be added.to the earth resistance of the reenforcing members in holding the polein pro er position. plished herein by providing each reenforcing This isaccommember with a web or fin 13 which is embedded in the butt 12 of thepole and which has sufficient extent and strength and a sufli cientinterlocking engagement with the butt of thr pole to transmit theretothe strain exerted on the reen'forcing members by any swaying or tippingtendency of the pole. With this construction whenever there is a strainon the pole tending to swing or tip it laterally this strain istransmitted to the reentorcing members because of their being clamped tothe pole above the earth and because of the interlocking engagementbetween the fin 13 of considerable extent and the butt of the pole thisstrain will be transmitted to the pole butt. Thus in this arrangementthe earth resistance of the butt 12, which is a very considerableamount, is added to that of the reenforcing members 4 in. resisting theswaying tendency of the pole and this would be the case even though thepole were badly weakened at the point 3 or were perhaps broken at thispoint.

The fins 13 are preferably formed so that as the reen'forcing membersare driven into the earth they will automatically become embedded in thepole. Each fin 13 is preferably formed with a pointed nose 14: and witha V edge 15, said edge 15 being curved slightly toward the point 1 1 soas to form a sort of beak.

. As stated above these reenforcingmemhere are intended to be driveninto the earth alongside of the pole, as indicated in Fig. 2, and asthey are thus driven the beak or nose 1 1 will plow its way into theside of the pole as shown in Fig. 2, the shape of the nose 14 and theinclined face 16 together with the pressure of the earth against thereenforcing member tending to prevent the fin from working out of thepole. As the reenforcing member is driven, therefore, the fin 13 plows asort of groove or furrow in the pole. This may be done by simply openingup a groove in which the fin is received or by the fin throwing out achip as in dicated at 17. This would depend upon the character of thepole. In any event, however, when the reenforeing member is driven home,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower end thereof is interlocked with thelower end of the butt 12 of the pole and any strain on the reenforcingmembers tending to tip the lower ends out of the earth will be transmitted to the butt 12 which will add its earth resistance to that of thereenforcing members. In driving the reenforcing members into the earthas shown in Fig. 2 a chain or flexible connection 18 will preferably beplaced around the pole and reenitorcing member so as to hold the latterhugged tightly to the pole.

The rib 6 of the reenforcing member is formed with a relatively wideportion 19 vided for.

In the construction above described the reenforcing members are used andinterlocked with the butt 12 which the pole originally had when it wasset. My invention is also applicable for use in strengthening andreenforcing a pole where the original pole butt is removed and anotherone substituted therefor as might be desirable in case the original buttis badly decayed. Sometimes the decay in a pole reaches clear to thebottom of the butt. In such case it may be desirable to cut the pole offat the surface of the earth, removing the butt 12 which formed a part ofthe original pole and then substituting another butt therefor.

A construction of this sort is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In reenforcing apole in this way the pole will be sawed or cut off at'about the surfaceof the earth and then the original pole butt will be removed. This maybe done by digging the earth away around the butt as shown at 20, Fig.7. Another pole butt 21, which may be wood treated with creosote or anyother way to resist decay, or may be a concrete butt if desired, is thenplaced in the hole 20 and the reenforcing members placed in positionalongside of the butt. The substitute pole butt 21 will be formed withrecesses in its side to receive the fins 13.

It may be desirable under some circumstances to clamp or bolt thereenforcing members to the substitute butt 21. Each reenforcing memberis shown as having one or more bolt holes 22 at its lower end and one ormore bolt holes 23 midway of its length, these bolt holes being adaptedto receive clamping bolts 24:, 25 that extend through the substitutebutt. Where the clamping bolts are thus used I propose to insert theclamping bolt 24 and clamp the lower ends of the reenforcing membersfirmly to the substitute butt before the latter is inserted into thehole 20. The upper clamping bolts 25 will be left loose so that theupper ends of the reenforcing members may be spread slightly. After thesubstitute butt with the reenforcing members secured thereto is placedin the hole the earth may be tamped around the lower end thereof andthen the pole body may be placed between the upper spread ends of thereenforcing members, the spread condition of said ends permitting thepole body to be readily inserted in place. When the pole is in place theclamping bolts 25 are tightened and the clamps 7 8 are applied. Withthis construction the pole will be as firmly held as with theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 be cause notwithstanding the factthat the pole body is severed from its butt yet the pole body is firmlyclamped to the reenforcing members and the latter in turn are firmlyclamped to the butt 21 and hence a rigid pole structure is produced.

I will preferably arrange the substitute butt 21 so that it comes to thesurface or slightly above the surface of the earth and I propose toinsert a. spacing member 26 between the substitute butt and the lowerend of the pole body. This spacing member is shown as in the form of aring having V upper and lower edges which become embedded somewhat intothe pole body and the substitute butt, if the latter is of Wood. Thisspacing ring is shown as having notches or openings 27 to providedrainage and ventilation.

If desired I may make the reenforcing members with other fins 28 whichare adapted to enter recesses formed in the butt 21 thereby to form anadded interlocking between the butt and jreenforcing members. If theseextra fins 28 are employed it may not be necessary to use the clampingbolts 25 as the fins will prevent lateral movement between the butt 21and the reenforcing members. The use of the fins 28 is optional,however, as well as the use of the upper clamping bolt 25. Furthermore,if desired I may make the reenforcing members with more than one fin 13,one or more added fins being used on each reenforcing member above thelower fin.

It will be noted that the V edge 15 of each fin 18 is cut away as shownat 29. The purpose of this is so that in case the fin strikes a knot orother obstruction and gets crowded out of the pole it will more quicklyre-enter the pole as it is driven, said fin being allowed to re-enter assoon as the re enforcing member has been driven to a point where theknot or other obstruction passes into the cutaway portion 29 of theedge.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pole, of a reenforcing member set into theearth alongside of the pole and extending above the earth, and means forclamping said reenforcing member to the pole above the earth, saidreenforcing member having on its lower end a fin of considerabledimension radially of the pole which is embedded in the butt of thepole, whereby the full earth resistance of said butt is added to that ofthe reenforcing member in overcoming swaying tendency of the pole.

2. The combination with a pole, of a re enforcing member adapted to bedriven into the earth alongside of the pole, means for clamping saidreenforcing member to the pole above the earth, said. reenforcing memberhaving at its lower end on its pole-engaging side a fin formed with abeak portion, whereby as the reenforcing member is driven the beak willplow into the butt of the pole and the fin will become interlocked withthe pole.

3. The combination with a pole, of reeniorcing members placed in theearth alongside of the pole and means for clamping said members to thepole, said clamping means comprising perforated plates and clamping dogsadjustably securing the plates to the reenforoing members, each doghaving an inturned end extending through an aperture in the plate and ahead at the terminus of said inturned end engaging the inside of theplate, said head having a conical exterior face which is embedded in thepole by the clamping pressure.

4:. The combination with a pole, of reenforcing members placed in theearth alongside of the pole and means for clamping said members to thepole, said clamping means comprising perforated plates and clamping dogsadjustably securing the plates to the reenforeing members, each doghaving an inturned end extending through an aperture in the plate and apointed head at the terminus of said inturned end, which head engagesthe inside of the plate, the point of the head being embedded in thepole by the clamping pressure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my i name to this specification.

GEORGE B. SPRING.

